New Delhi: India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Wednesday said last year’s ODI World Cup crown at home gave the side much-needed confidence and self belief to win more titles anywhere in the world.
India defeated South Africa in Navi Mumbai to win their maiden ICC title in November last year.
And that achievement has instilled self belief in the side to repeat the feat in the Women’s T20 World Cup, to be staged in the United Kingdom from June 12 to July 5.
Emphasising the significance of that triumph, Harmanpreet said winning a major title was crucial not just for recognition but also for validating years of hard work put in by generations of women cricketers.
“Look, I believe that in any field, you have to do something special, you have to win a title, only then do you get recognition. Otherwise, it feels like all the hard work goes to waste,” she said on the sidelines of a stand naming ceremony in her honour at the Omaxe Stadium in Dwarka.
The skipper credited past players for laying the foundation, noting that many had made personal sacrifices to keep the sport growing in the country. She added that the recent title has brought a strong response from fans and media, boosting the team’s morale.
On expectations for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Harmanpreet said the team will aim to build on its confidence and belief. “We’ll try our best. The last World Cup gave us confidence, and now we believe we can win anywhere,” she said.
Reflecting on the recent multi-format tour of Australia, where India won the T20I series but lost the ODIs and the one-off Test, she described it as a valuable learning experience. She highlighted the challenge of switching formats frequently and said such exposure would benefit the team in the long run.
Harmanpreet also termed the naming of a stand in her honour as an emotional moment, while officials indicated that formal recognition of the venue by the BCCI is yet to be confirmed.
